Wellness

The San Bernardino County Community Vital Signs Initiative is excited to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website. Community Vital Signs works in partnership with sectors across the county to support the wellness element of the Countywide Vision.

The redesign, which further reflects the vibrancy of San Bernardino County and its residents, is now easier to navigate, with improved functionality across all platforms and browsers. Visitors will experience a better user interface with intuitive streamlined menu operations that will direct visitors to community efforts, data, and information to keep them informed of the progress and the efforts of the initiative.

New features include:

Defined Priority Areas, Goals, and Strategies – to support the Community Transformation Plan

Access to Data Portal – to measure and track performance and to provide perspective

Interactive Community Events Calendar – to engage and mobilize community support and action

Better defined Quick Links – to enhance learning and to support knowledge acquirement

There are several entry points allowing residents to participate in helping make San Bernardino County a better place to live, work, and play. Users can begin by visiting the website at www.CommunityVitalSigns.org and take advantage of the site’s new features and benefits.

The Vision2BActive campaign is seeking nominees for Action Heroes in hopes of recognizing people in San Bernardino County who have made an impact on community wellness by participating in physical activity or promoting physical fitness.

Examples of Action Heroes include a person who has started their own walking club in their neighborhood; a teacher who encourages their students to be healthy by being active; a business person who incorporates physical fitness into the workday of their employees; a child who encourages friends and classmates to stay active; or person who changed their life or improved their own wellness by being physically active.

Vision2BActive is a campaign of the Countywide Vision to improve health and wellness in San Bernardino County by encouraging residents to increase their physical activity and connecting them to existing recreational programs, amenities and activities in their communities.

Only 23 percent of San Bernardino County adults and 34 percent of our youth get the recommended amount of physical activity, according to the most recent data from the California Health Interview Survey. In its 2008 issuance of “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended adults get 150 minutes a week of physical activity and children ages 5 to 17 were encouraged to move at least 60 minutes a day.

Vision2BActive.com is an interactive resource that provides residents with information about physical activity events, fitness tips and a GIS map featuring places to be active in the county.

The Countywide Vision was developed by the community in 2010-11 and adopted by the Board of Supervisors and the San Bernardino Council of Governments Board of Directors in June 2011 in order to create a roadmap for the future of San Bernardino County, which includes creating a healthy and prosperous future for all who live, work and play here. Vision2BActive is the second public campaign of the Countywide Vision Project following the successful Vision2Read literacy initiative that started in September 2015.

It’s going to be a banner night for public health when two of the largest Southern California counties’ baseball and Public Health teams face off on the field and hit a “Home Run for Health” at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino on August 10.

San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Riverside County Public Health, and the California Health Collaborative have all joined the effort to spread a message of good health by offering FREE admission to the public when the Inland Empire 66ers host the Lake Elsinore Storm August 10 at the 66ers’ San Manuel Stadium, located at 280 South E Street in San Bernardino.

“The best thing about this event will be all the health information that will be made available to fans. Our staff will be there to showcase our programs and the great services and resources we provide to residents every day,” said Trudy Raymundo, Director of San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.

Fans are invited to visit the locations below to pick up their vouchers. One voucher can be redeemed for four (4) tickets (limit 2 vouchers/8 tickets).

San Bernardino County Department of Public Health
Vital Statistics Registration Office

A Walking School Bus is a group of children who walk to school together under the supervision of trained adult leaders. The program promotes good health, a cleaner environment, and reduced traffic around school.

At Wrightwood Elementary School, students participate in the Walking School Bus on most days and by the time they get to school they are alert and ready to learn because they have had their exercise. This is a great example of how children and adults can get physical activity into their daily routine.

Click here for more information about the program. Click here to get involved or start something similar in your community.

This program is a great example of children and adults who have a Vision2BActive!

The Board of Supervisors today endorsed Vision2BActive, a new campaign designed to encourage physical activity with the goal of improving health and wellness in San Bernardino County.

Only 23 percent of San Bernardino County adults and 34 percent of our youth get the recommended amount of physical activity, according to the most recent data from the California Health Interview Survey. In its 2008 issuance of “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended adults get 150 minutes a week of physical activity and children ages 5 to 17 were encouraged to move at least 60 minutes a day.

“We know that a healthy community means a prosperous community and that’s why we support Vision2BActive,” said James Ramos, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “I encourage residents to make the time to be physically active and take advantage of opportunities to play in the county’s parks, lakes, deserts and mountains. Let’s welcome 2017 with a New Year’s Resolution to get healthy.”

Health has a direct and profound impact on the quality of life of the county. Vision2BActive supports the public’s Vision for a “complete community”, especially the jobs and the economy, education, wellness and public safety elements of the community. It is a public campaign of the community-driven Community Vital Signs effort, which has completed an in-depth analysis of the current health of the county, developed evidence-based goals and priorities, and gathered resources to assist organizations and agencies in the county to develop or enhance programs and policies to better meet the health and wellness needs of residents.

Regular physical activity can produce a variety of long-term benefits for San Bernardino County residents regardless of their age, background or abilities. Physical activity is fun and includes the easiest movement such as walking or throwing a ball around to the most challenging exercise like running or mountain biking. Throughout the campaign, Vision2BActive.com will serve as a resource and provide residents with information about physical activity events, fitness tips and a GIS map featuring places to be active in the county.

The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Board of Directors will be asked to endorse Vision2BActive at its Jan. 4 meeting.

On Jan. 7, all San Bernardino County residents are encouraged to get their New Year’s Resolutions started and participate in the Vision2BActive Challenge. Post a photo or video or livestream a physical activity such as gardening, walking, or playing basketball, on social media using #Vision2BActive and challenge three friends to participate. Posts will be shared on Facebook at San Bernardino Countywide Vision or on Twitter and Instagram @SBCVision. For inspiration, watch this video Ramos made for the campaign.

The Countywide Vision was adopted in June 2011 by the Board of Supervisors and the SANBAG Board of Directors in partnership with the community in order to develop a roadmap for the future of San Bernardino County, which includes creating a healthy and prosperous future for all who live, work and play here. Vision2BActive is the second public campaign of the Countywide Vision Project following the successful Vision2Read literacy initiative that started in September 2015.

The National League of Cities recently recognized the City of Fontana along with more than 30 other cities for their efforts to improve nutrition and increase physical activity in their communities during the National League of Cities’ City Summit in Pittsburg on November 17, 2016. The City of Fontana was recognized for their Healthy Fontana Program and its work to enhance the goals of the Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties Campaign. See goals. City of Fontana Community Services Manager Michael Wright and Mayor Acquanetta Warren attended the event and picked up the award on behalf of the dedicated city staff that is working to ensure the health and well-being of young people today and that of future generations.

Healthy Fontana is a community-based, award-winning program that promotes a healthy lifestyle, teaches smart nutrition choices and assists in creating an active, livable community to improve the quality of life for Fontana residents. Community Services Manager Michael Wright praised his team for the recognition.“This honor is only possible through great leadership, the vision from our Mayor and City Council, great management team and dedicated employees that have the community of Fontana in their best interest,” said Community Services Manager Michael Wright. ” The Fontana team has a passion for making residents lives better, and creating and implementing programs that eradicate obesity rates of children is just one way we develop healthier lives and a Healthy Fontana.”

The Healthy Fontana program was developed in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative encouraging communities to design programs to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. More than 500 cities, towns and counties participate in Let’s Move! Cities, Town and Counties. Other California cities that were recognized for their efforts included Glendale, Rialto, Riverside and San Pablo. Medals were awarded to communities based on their achievements in improving access to healthy, affordable food and promoting physical activity.

The Community Foundation serving the counties of San Bernardino and Riverside is currently accepting online applications from nonprofits that would like to participate in Give BIG San Bernardino County. Give BIG San Bernardino County is an exciting 24-hour event to increase philanthropy in San Bernardino County through online giving on Nov. 29. The goal of the campaign is to raise much-needed funds for nonprofits serving the residents of, and visitors to, San Bernardino County.

Nonprofit requirements include one year of nonprofit 501(c)(3) status, have a physical location within the County of San Bernardino zip codes, or provide itinerant services in the County of San Bernardino. National nonprofits are welcome if a local chapter serves the County of San Bernardino.

To submit an application, please visit www.givebigsbcounty.org. To learn more about the campaign and upcoming training, visit Give BIG San Bernardino County on Facebook (GiveBigSanBernardinoCounty), Twitter@GiveBigSBCounty, or visit our website at www.givebigsbcounty.org. For assistance, call The Community Foundation at 909.644.6221.
Thanks to funding and support from the County of San Bernardino Board of Supervisors and the contributions of generous sponsors, Give Big San Bernardino County is providing valuable training to nonprofits in the use of social media, cultivating relationships with donors, developing a communications plan, and raising much-needed funds from online donors. These online donations provide critical funding to help nonprofits in San Bernardino County not only address poverty but also other challenges the county residents face in the areas of education, health, the environment, public safety, family and youth services. Give BIG San Bernardino County also provides donors with an online giving platform, whose donations help to improve the quality of life for all through recreation, the arts, and more.

The CRY-ROP YouthACT Team includes Fernando Olivarez, Nicole Drazin, and Branley Acevedo

California’s YouthACT team from San Bernardino County are conducting a presentation this week at the 16th Annual Arizona Department of Education’s transition conference about how they used their advocacy skills to shape their transition experiences into adulthood.

The session is “YouthACTing as Transitions Ambassadors” and the team will discuss the partnerships they built with their families, adult partners, peers, and team members to advocate for themselves in high school, home, college, and rehabilitation service agencies to develop plans that work for them. California’s YouthACT team members will inspire their peers to use their voice to shape various transition systems for personal and policy success.

The California YouthACT team from the Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa Regional Occupation Program includes Branley Acevedo, Nicole Drazin and Fernando Olivarez. The team’s work is in support of the Countywide Vision’s regional goal to support the success of every child from cradle to career.

The YouthACT is a national leadership development initiative designed to get more youth with disabilities and their allies involved as leaders who partner with adults and organizations to improve opportunities for young people to succeed.

The term “youth transition” is used to describe the process and period of change young people go through between the ages of 12 and 25 that involves developing the full range of competencies they need to succeed in adult life including employment, postsecondary education, and independent and community living. While many organizations and government agencies are responsible for helping youth transition to adulthood, young people rarely have a voice in the decisions these agencies and organizations make about the programs, services, and policies that affect them. Increasing youth voice in organization and agency decision making and policy making is important to ensure youth receive the opportunities, services, and support they need during the transition to adulthood.

Inland Empire men will be inspired, educated and better equipped to tackle the challenges of fatherhood and to be actively engaged in their children’s lives during the 2016 Inland Empire Fatherhood Conference.

The Aug. 20 conference, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Bernardino Valley College, 701. S. Mt. Vernon Ave. in San Bernardino, will feature workshops. There will be Spanish translation available. Jaiya John, a renowned author, poet and spoken word artist, is the keynote speaker at the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC) event. John, the author of “Father to Son: Ode to Black Boys,” will do a meet-and-greet and sign several of his books following his remarks. To register for the conference, visit www.iefathers.org/conference

“One of the most consequential social trends of our time is father absenteeism,” said Lesford Duncan of the County Children’s Network, who serves as co-chair of the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC). “The absence of a father increases a child’s risk of experiencing a host of poor outcomes in the short and long term, such as poverty, poor school performance, child abuse and neglect, emotional and behavioral problems, and incarceration.”

Now in its second year, the conference is a collaboration by the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC), a group of community-based organizations, county agencies, faith-based organizations, and individuals from various professions working to reduce father absenteeism and the negative images of fatherlessness. The mission of the IEFIC is to encourage healthy child development by promoting the involvement, necessity, and value of the role of fathers in the family and community. Participating San Bernardino County agencies include the Children’s Network, Children and Family Services, Preschool Services Department, First 5 San Bernardino, Child Support Services, Department of Behavioral Health, Department of Public Health Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and Probation.

Children’s Network of San Bernardino County works to improve the quality of life for children at risk who, because of behavior, abuse, neglect, medical needs, educational assessment, and/or detrimental daily living situations are eligible for services from one or more of the member agencies of the Children’s Policy Council.

Children’s Network and the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition are doing their part to help the community achieve the Countywide Vision by ensuring residents have the resources they need to provide the necessities of life to their families. Information on the Countywide Vision can be found atwww.sbcounty.gov/vision